Mesothelioma drugs are intended to either treat mesothelioma cancer or the effects of the cancer and other treatments. There are many forms of treatments for mesothelioma; drugs are employed as a curative measure in most cases and occasionally used to try to decrease patient discomfort. Chemotherapy treatments are the most common reasons for drug intervention in people who have received a mesothelioma diagnosis. Mesothelioma drugs like Alitma (pemetrexed) and Platinol (Cisplatin) are the only two fully approved chemotherapy medication available to mesothelioma patients.
While there are many chemotherapy drugs available to oncologists, not all medications are approved for use in the treatment of all diseases. Therefore mesothelioma drugs must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before they may be used in the regular treatment of the cancer. However, some drugs may be approved for clinical trials in order to evaluate their safety and effectiveness before becoming fully approved.
There are five named mesothelioma drugs that approved for use in the routine treatment of mesothelioma in the United States:
- Pemetrexed disodium
- Cisplatin
- Alitma (a brand of pemetrexed disodium)
- Platinol (a brand of cisplatin)
- Platinol-AQ (a variation of Platinol/cisplatin)
Pemetrexed and cisplatin are mesothelioma drugs that are commonly used in combination with one another to be most effective, though single-agent therapy (using only one type of mesothelioma drug) is also practiced in some patients. Pemetrexed and cisplatin, regardless of their brand name or variation, are medications that are designed to perform a very specific function in relation to mesothelioma cancer. These mesothelioma drugs do not always work in all patients.
Studies published by various medical institutions showed that the efficacy (effectiveness) of combining cisplatin and pemetrexed may be more effective than using only one of the drugs.
| Typical Study Results for Mesothelioma Drugs |
|---|
| Approximate amount of time without progression of the disease |
| With Cisplatin Alone | 4 Months |
| With Cisplatin and Pemetrexed | 6 Months |
| Approximate Average Total Survival Time |
| With Cisplatin Alone | 9 Months |
| With Cisplatin and Pemetrexed | 12 Months |
| Percentage of Cases where Mesothelioma was Controlled |
| With Cisplatin Alone | 12% t0 21% |
| With Cisplatin and Pemetrexed | 26% to 41% |
Some combinations do not work in all patients, so 2nd line treatment may be necessary. A 2nd line treatment occurs when a patient doesn’t’ respond to a particular medication and doctors attempt the treatment again with a different method or with different mesothelioma drugs.
What do Mesothelioma Drugs do?
As mentioned earlier, each type of mesothelioma drug is designed to work differently against the cancer. The two discussed here, pemetrexed and cisplatin, are chemotherapy drugs that are designed to either kill cancer cells and therefore shrink the size of the tumor or prevent the growth of new tumor cells and therefore prevent tumors from growing or spreading. Mesothelioma drugs all share the common goal of extending survival times in individuals diagnosed with this cancer and most carry significant side effects that may warrant complimentary treatments.
The very best option to extend life expectancy in mesothelioma patients is surgery to remove the cancer from the body. However, this isn’t always a possibility – especially in elderly patients. Mesothelioma drugs may be introduced into the body after surgery in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells or they may be used when surgery is not an option. In either case, pemetrexed and cisplatin each have a specific purpose.
How Do These Mesothelioma Drugs Work?
Cisplatin is intended to both kill cancer cells and remove their ability to multiply without restriction, therefore preventing tumor growth and shrinking the size of the tumor. This mesothelioma drug works by interrupting the mutated DNA that tells cancer cells to multiply or reproduce. The metal platinum-base of cisplatin works to effectively “short-circuit” the message sent from the gene to the cell.
Pemetrexed works with cisplatin and also prevents mutated DNA programming from fulfilling its mission. This mesothelioma drug is an antifolate that prevents the cell division that starts the replication process. By stopping the enzyme that causes this to happen, is prevents the development of these “instructions” to multiple in the newly dividing cells and effectively stops tumor growth in this way.
How Are These Mesothelioma Drugs Administered?
Together, the mesothelioma drugs are introduced into the body through an IV line or through a central line or PICC line in order to infuse the patient’s blood with the chemotherapy agents. Infusion generally lasts for about ten minutes for a treatment period of twenty-one days in most cases. The combination of mesothelioma drugs may be introduced on a weekly basis or once a month, depending on the patient’s health and tolerance and the aggressiveness of the cancer.
What Are the Side Effects of these Mesothelioma Drugs?
Chemotherapy drugs cause side effects because they also come into contact with healthy cells in the body. Some of the most common side effects are mild and will pass soon following the end of the treatment period. Others are much more severe and may last for the rest of the person’s life. Tolerance for side effects can adversely affect the course of the treatment and, in some cases, prevent mesothelioma drugs from being a viable method of care.
| Mesothelioma Drug Side Effects Pemetrexed and Cisplatin |
|---|
| Cisplatin Side Effects |
| Heightened Risk for Infection | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of white blood cells that fight infection. Infection leads to other side effects such as head and muscle aches, coughing, sore throat, fever and chills. |
| Anemia\Fatigue | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. This leads to fatigue. |
| Bruising | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of platelets that assist in blood clotting. A lack of platelets leads to easy bruising. |
| Kidney Damage | Cisplatin mesothelioma cancer treatments are hard on the kidneys. Tests will verify the kidneys’ ability to cope with this drug before introduced into a patient’s system. |
| Other Common Effects | Ringing in ears or hearing loss, infertility, missed menstruation, tingling extremities (fingers or toes). |
| Rare Anaphylactic Effects (Allergic Reactions) | Skin rash, fever, itching, swelling, dizziness, anxiety, sudden urination, breathlessness. |
| Pemetrexed Side Effects |
| Heightened Risk for Infection | Pemetrexed also lowers the body’s count of white blood cells that fight infection. Infection leads to other side effects such as head and muscle aches, coughing, sore throat, fever and chills. |
| Anemia\Fatigue | Pemetrexed also the body’s count of red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. This leads to fatigue. |
| Bruising | Pemetrexed also the body’s count of platelets that assist in blood clotting. A lack of platelets leads to easy bruising. |
| Diarrhea | Pemetrexed as a mesothelioma cancer treatment can cause diarrhea, so individuals are encouraged to stay hydrated to prevent it. |
| Skin Rash | Because an allergic reaction to Cisplatin may include skin rash and itching, this side effect complicates the doctor’s ability to determine a patient’s reaction to pemetrexed or cisplatin individually. |
| Rare or Occasional Side Effects | Hair loss, constipation, liver dysfunction that returns to normal after treatment has concluded, and fever. |
| Other Common Side Effects | Sore mouth, loss of appetite, nausea, missed menstruation, infertility, birth defects. |
